Government awards £4 million for tech projects that will cut congestion, speed up journeys and clean up the environment.
Apps that notify motorists of congestion and free parking spaces, and real time journey information for visually impaired passengers, are just some of the projects that will receive a share of £4 million government technology funding today (21 February 2017).
Nineteen councils across England will receive between £50,000 and £300,000 each for their ideas to improve journeys through digital innovation.
The government money will be spent on developing cutting edge technology such as apps and sensors which can be used to cut congestion, improve parking in city centres and alert drivers when electric car charging points become available.
Successful bidders include:
- £234,000 for Blackpool to use Bluetooth technologies to cut traffic congestion
- £182,000 for Dorset to provide advance congestion warnings for drivers on the A31 using an app
- £300,000 for Warrington to provide real-time information to businesses and public through on-street information displays, social media and phone apps
- £150,000 for Coventry for a real-time bay availability system across 450 pay and display parking spots
- £204,000 for Westminster, Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham to roll out a new generation of electric vehicle charge points which will provide real-time data to motorists when they are available
- £50,000 for Peterborough to use digital technology to provide real time journey information directly to visually impaired people
Roads Minister Andrew Jones, said:
I congratulate today’s winners for coming up with cutting-edge, innovative ideas that will transform journeys for passengers and motorists across the country. Technology is rapidly evolving and this important work shows that if we get it right, it can cut congestion, speed up journeys, clean up the environment, and improve accessibility.
Andrew Jones is visiting one of the competition winners, Westminster Council, today where he will see smart technology in practice including a hands-free parking app which reduces the time motorists circulate by showing available space.
| Local authority | Project | Funding awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Blackpool | Traffic congestion and parking Bluetooth management technology | £234,000 |
| City of York | Connected vehicle data for traffic signalling to improve congestion | £295,200 |
| Derbyshire | Early warning system for congestion enabling drivers to communicate with one another and avoid traffic | £237,500 |
| Dorset | Advanced congestion warnings app | £182,100 |
| Southampton | Enabling council to deliver real time travel information to better manage road network | £90,000 |
| Swindon | Alert system for local authority traffic managers to better disseminate congestion information | £235,000 |
| Warrington | Using Bluetooth and Smart technology to manage traffic flow and provide real-time information to businesses and the general public | £300,000 |
| Worcestershire | Information sharing system so traffic incidents can be dealt with quickly by highway staff and vehicles | £300,000 |
| Newcastle | Connected bus scheme for Arriva Fleet to equip more buses with vehicle infrastructure technology. | £98,200 |
| Portsmouth | Developing platform for Portsmouth’s Traffic Management Centre, enabling communication exchange between vehicles infrastructure and other vehicles | £285,000 |
| Reading | Improve roadworks warning, parking and traffic information | £250,000 |
| Coventry | Real time information on parking bay availability to improve parking services | £150,000 |
| Somerset | Provide advanced traffic signal phase and timing information for traffic on the M5 – Junction 24, through Bridgewater, to Hinkley Point | £290,000 |
| West Midlands | Real time information for HVG drivers to avoid unnecessary stops at traffic signals via hands free smartphone app | £285,000 |
| Hounslow, Hammersmith, Fulham and Westminster | Sharing information about electric charge points by deploying parking sensors in electric vehicle bays | £204,000 |
| Luton | To collect live car park availability data and give straight to drivers to reduce congestion by reducing time looking for spaces | £73,500 |
| Milton Keynes | Provision of real time information with cameras/sensors and 7 laser sensors at key junctions in Central Milton Keynes enabling monitoring of all available parking | £175,000 |
| Oxfordshire | Real-time parking information for Blue Badge, Pay and Display and electric vehicle charge points with a particular focus on vulnerable road users | £239,000 |
| Peterborough | Real time journey information for the visually impaired with a focus on visitors being able to access the new Royal National Institute for the Blind head offices in Peterborough | £50,000 |
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